I want to aerate my lawn for the first time. My supply guy says to rake off the cores and put perlite and gypsum in the holes. Sounds good, but most info I've read says to leave the cores. Any advice?

Catcher

02-27-2002, 03:00 PM

Well,
I have never raked my plugs off the lawn, too lazy to rake 3 acres.
Generally they will disappear after a week, I have never had any problems leaving them on the lawn. I try to aerate before I apply fertilizer or before re-seeding. I was told the same thing about filling the holes, seems fruitless to me, the media will find its way into them eventually.

Ground Master

02-28-2002, 12:01 PM

Guys leave the cores because it is too costly to rake them. Personally, I think its a good idea to rake them if you have the time.

Options: power raking after you aerate elminates viurtually all the plugs provided you rake up the thatch and mow afterwards.

You could also set your mowing height lower and go over the lawn a few times----this may help, but your mowing deck will cake up from the cores and dull the blade.

65hoss

03-01-2002, 12:56 AM

I say leave them, and here is why.

Topsoil is usually in short supply in lawns. If you take them up, your taking away some of your topsoil. You can drag a piece of chainlink fence if you want to break them up though.

They will be gone very quickly. I would just leave them.

Catcher

03-01-2002, 08:37 AM

What Hoss said.
After it rains on them once or twice you won't see them anymore.

odin

03-03-2002, 05:04 PM

We leave the cores couple rains their gone like hoss said .

Russo

03-03-2002, 09:16 PM

Hoss hit the nail on the head.

ERIC ROBERGE

03-04-2002, 04:32 AM

Wouldnt raking up all those cores be like hitting your head on the nail? That would just be a pain in the a*%. I guess that would be the same thing.:D